'Hulu With Live TV' service and streaming app launches on iPhone, iPad

Hulu has launched its rumored "Hulu with Live TV" service with an app debuting on the iOS App Store, offering live streaming access to major television networks —but similar to the early DirecTV launch, the service is labeled as beta.

The service, announced on Wednesday, will cost $43.99 per month without commercials and $39.99 with, and allows users to watch live TV on iOS or the fourth generation Apple TV. Subscribers will be able to stream on two screens at a time, and have 50 hours of DVR storage in the cloud.

Hulu subscribers with Live TV have access to the entire Hulu streaming library, 50 live and on-demand channels, and thousands of on-demand titles associated with the streaming channels. Live channels include ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, FX, NBCSN, FS1, History Channel, TNT, and others.

Local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC broadcast networks are available in L.A., New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Chicago. Other networks will have gaps, reminiscent of the absent channels on the DirecTV Now streaming service.

Add-on services are available, at extra cost. The limit on screens in one house can be boosted to unlimited or 200 hours of DVR programming with commercial-skipping can be added for $14.99 a month per addition. If both are purchased, the combined fee is $19.98, a $10 bundle savings.

The Hulu with Live TV app itself is free. It requires 84.1MB of device storage on the iPhone or iPad, and requires iOS 10.0 or newer. As of 10:00 a.m. eastern time, the Apple TV app is not yet available.

Viewing is possible on the Xbox One, and on Android-based devices including the Chromecast. Hulu says that it will add the Amazon Fire TV, and Roku at a later time.